APSI Syllabus
Mary Wuerth
marywuerth@gmail.com
Tamalpais High School, Mill Valley, CA
Day One – Overview and begin Big Idea #1 – Evolution
o Introductions, safety rules/contract, resources you have at your desk, “housekeeping”
o How the redesigned course is different from (and similar to) the “classic” AP Bio course, Big
Ideas, Enduring Understandings, Science Practices, Learning Objectives
o Equity of access to AP courses (why a 100% pass rate may mean you are missing some kids)
o Information about the new exam and how the free response questions were scored (rubrics and
samples!) we will follow up with a bit of practice scoring each day
o Overview of the labs.
o Resources to help you write and submit your syllabus
o Resources to help you teach the class (if you do nothing else, join the AP Community!)
o Brief lecture on Hardy-Weinberg
o By popular demand, discussion of SD, SEM, error bars and FRQ #1
Labs and activities for Big Idea #1 (we may not get to all of these, but I will give you an overview of the
ones we don’t do and post them to the workshop wiki) Use “wait time” during labs to investigate online
resources
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Review of Hardy Weinberg equations and what they mean
“classic” Hardy-Weinberg Lab – Kim Foglia’s version
Breeding bunnies activity from PBS evolution site
HHMI resources – rock pocket mouse activity,
ENSI site http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/ cytochrome c
Pop Gen software (free!)
BLAST lab
Mouse GULO gene activity (from AP Community)
Also set up Whole Plant Transpiration Lab (New Lab #11),
DAY TWO – Finish up big idea #1, begin Big Idea #2 – Energy
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Time to ask any questions about anything from yesterday, share other ideas/best practices for
teaching big idea #1
What are the differences between “traditional/cookbook” labs, guided inquiry and open inquiry
Diffusion and Osmosis lab
BTB Agar Lab (Kim Foglia’s Cell Races)
How I teach photosynthesis and cellular respiration (here comes the content portion!)
Floating Leaf Disk Photosynthesis Lab
Cellular Respiration Lab
In depth discussion of FRQs from the 2014 AP Biology exam
Weigh your plants for transpiration lab
DAY THREE – Finish up big idea #2, begin Big Idea #3 – Information
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Time to ask any questions about anything from yesterday, share other ideas/best practices for
teaching big idea #2
Analyze Data from Diffusion and Osmosis Lab, use of math in AP Biology, with focus on water
potential
Cell Communication resources from HHMI
Bacterial Transformation with pGLO
Restriction Enyzme Analysis and Gel Electrophoresis
Chi-square and M & Ms (more math here, but don’t just do chi-square on only one lab a year)
pHet simulation of lac operon, ideas for modeling operons
Overview of Mitosis/Meiosis Lab and some suggested alternatives
In depth discussion of FRQs from the 2014 AP Biology exam
Weigh your plants for transpiration lab
DAY FOUR – Finish up big idea #3, do Big Idea #4 – Interactions
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Time to ask any questions about anything from yesterday, share other ideas/best practices for
teaching big idea #3 or anything else!
Meiosis and Fertilization model
In depth discussion of FRQs from the 2014 AP Biology exam
Acting out action potential
Analysis of pGLO lab results, calculating transformation efficiency
Fruit Fly behavior lab
Lab tips from me and from the AP Biology consultants (the suggestions of 75 experienced AP
Biology teachers compiled into one document)
Time to work on syllabi/planning/investigating resources